Bowling-alley.



No. 650,245. Patented May 22, I900. H. J. HECKENBACH.

BOWLING ALLEY.

(Application filed. Feb. 16, 1900.)

(No Model.)

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UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

HENRY J. HECKENBACII, OF BEIJVIDERE, ILLINOIS.

BOWLING-ALLEY.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 650,245, dated May 22,1900.

Application filed February 16, 1900. Serial No. 5,444. (No model.)

To ctZZ whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, HENRY J. HECKENBACH, a citizen of the United States,and a resident of- Belvidere, in the county of Boone and State ofIllinois, have invented new and useful Improvements in Bowling-Alleys,of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description.

My invention relates to bowling alleys known as portable alleys orparlor bowling-alleys; and it has for its object to provide a gameapparatus of the above-indicated class which will be simple and durableand in which the number of pins knocked down at each throw will .bealmost entirely a matter of chance, the ball being given a very complexmotion.

To this end my invention consists in the particular construction andarrangement of parts, as will he hereinafter described and claimed.

Reference is to be had to the accompanying drawings, forming a part ofthis specification, in which similar characters of reference indicatecorresponding parts in both figures.

Figure l is a plan of my improved bowlingalley, and Fig. 2 is a sideelevation thereof with parts broken away.

The improved bowling-alley comprises a suitable table A, which may besupported upon legs '13. The table has a surrounding vertical flange C,and at one end is located the depression or pit D, adapted to receivethe knocked-down pins. The pins E (usually ten in the customaryarrangement) are adapted to beset up adjacent to the pit D at the end ofthe longitudinal bed-plate F, extending centrally of the table. saidbed-plate are arranged the channels G, inclined downwardly toward thepit D and adapted to lead into it any ball that may roll ofi thebed-plate. At the end of the bed-plate F, opposite to the pins E, islocated the discharge end H of a ball-runway H, which end isapproximately horizontal. The adjacent portion H of the runway is curvedupward, and then the runway has a portion H inclined in the oppositedirection-that is, away from the pins E. The portions 11 and H aresuperposedthat is, the discharge end II is under the chute portion H asshown in Fig. 1. The portions H H H of the runway At each side of arelocated in the longitudinal center of the bed-plate F; but the upper endsection II of the runway is located at one side and preferably supportedby a leg I. A laterally-curved portion H connects the lower end of thesec: tion H with the upper end of the portion H The runway is preferablylined with billiardtable cloth, as shown. The top of the section II andportions H and H is preferably open, although it might be covered; butpart of the portion H has a top or cover H, which is continued along theportion II and finally forms a bottom for the discharge end H. This discharge end is preferably flaring and wider than the superposed portionII of the runway. (See Fig. 1.)

The pins E having been set up, a suitable ball is started rolling at theupper end of the runway H, and said ball first travels longitudinally inthe section H and is then deviated laterally in the portion H to reachthe centrally-located portion H Here the ball is prevented by the coverH from leaving the runway, and in passing through the portion or chute Hthe ball travels across the runway from the bottom of the upper sectionof the runway to the bottom of the lower sec tion thereof, as indicatedby the dotted line a in Fig. 2. The ball is then discharged lengthwiseof the bed-plate F from the flaring section or spout H to strike thepins E.

It will be observed that the runway comprises an upper section H H IIand a lower section H,which are connected by an approximately-verticalintermediate section or chute H and that the wall H, which forms a coverfor the lower end of the upper section, is extended along the chute andalong the lower section to form the bottom of the latter. The lateraldeviation of the section II imparts a twisting motion to the ball,rendering its course and action very uncertain.

Having thus described my invention, I claim as new and desire to secureby Letters Patent- A bowling-alley comprising pins, a bedplate uponwhich the pins are adapted to be set up, and a ball-runway comprising anupper section provided with a lateral deviation and inclined downwardlyfrom the pin-receiving end of the bed-plate toward the other endthereof, a lower section inclined in the opposite direction and having adischarge end or In testimony whereofI have signed my spout facingthe'pins, and a chute connectname to this specification in the presenceof [0 ing thelup er and lowter sectiforllls of the rund two subscribingwitnesses. way, t e a jacen por ions 0 t e upper an 5 lower sectionsbeing superposed, and the up- HENRY .HEOKENBACH' per section having, atits lower end, a cover Witnesses: Y

'which is extended along the chute and the GEORGE GEIGER,

lower section to form a bottom fol-the latter. EWALD E. KUNZE.

